This description relates to the control of heat generated by a central processing unit (CPU) of a computer.
Frequency is the number of recurrences of a periodic phenomenon (e.g., the oscillation of a current, a voltage, an electric field, or a magnetic field) per unit of time (e.g., per second). A clock signal is a synchronization signal generated in the computer, and the CPU can be classified according to its operating clock frequency expressed in Hz. For example, if the clock frequency of the CPU is 1.6 GHz, 1,600,000,000 signals are generated per second. The performance of the CPU typically improves with the number of signals generated per second. However, as the clock frequency increases, the CPU typically generates more heat and consumes more power.
The relatively small size of portable computing devices, such as notebook computers, limits the size and quantity of cooling fans used in the computing devices. Moreover, if the notebook computer is operated by a battery, use of such cooling fans may result in a decrease in battery usage time, particularly as the amount of heat increases with increasing clock frequencies.